Maldive Islands

The Maldives' Islands include a vast territory in the Indian Ocean with very little dry land area. The islands, almost 1200, are low lying, perhaps 6-8 feet above sea level. Many of the islands are uninhabited, but it was odd appearing to see tall buildings on the major islands, almost at sea level.  It seemed like all commerce had to go through Male Island, the capital.  Maldives are known for their over-water bungalow resorts.  The government-mandated religion is Islam.  Several of our cruise ship crew were from the Maldives.  They described living in a household of seventeen persons which apparently is not unusual. As well as snorkeling, we were able to tour one island of about 1200 persons where everyone knows everyone. Standing in the center of the island, you could see the beach to the left and right and the palm trees ahead and behind, marking those beaches.

Main street on one of the smaller Maldives, about 1200 residents.

Banyan tree in the town square.  They are considered to be religious points of worship, also the most substantial structure on the island.

Typical beach on an inhabited island, but many of the islands have no permanent residents.

Variable weather, but we were able to get some snorkeling in.  No shade, no bathrooms.  I am sure that there are better locations, you just need to pick the right island.

They told the story that, until a few years ago, there was a single telephone booth on the island. When that telephone rang, the nearest person would answer it, and then someone would run and find the call recipient.  The telephone booth is still there.  For higher education or good medical care, people need to leave their island and perhaps travel to India or beyond.

Tourist shops.  On the left is our guide, Pico, who lives in the Maldives.

We experienced snorkeling on two different islands.  At one location, we needed to wade out at least fifty yards to find deep enough water for snorkeling.  I do not like snorkeling in shallow areas.  The coral in such places is usually bleached (dead) from the hot sun, and the area is only inhabited by the smaller creatures.  Once we reached deeper water, the snorkeling was fairly good, but then the bottom dropped off rather rapidly.  Perhaps more ideal for scuba diving.

DC to Dubai

Our first goal on this trip was to spend Christmas in Washington, DC, with our son’s family.  The grandkids are a joy to be around; the parents are doing a good job.  However, DC wasn’t kind to us.  Dawn and I both caught a virus and spent much of our time in bed. Would wearing a mask have made a difference?  I doubt it.

We recovered just in time to board our flights taking us first to Newark, then 13 hours nonstop to Dubai.  The flight wasn’t as bad as we imagined; I give our Premium Plus seating much of the credit.  No more economy for us at our ages.  Arriving in Dubai, the city is impressive in many ways; but it is still just a big city.  We spent three nights at a very nice hotel in Sharjah, using taxis to see several area attractions.

This was the ocean view from our hotel room.  A walking path extended for miles along the shore and a canal leading into the city.

Shore fisherman in Dubai before the day heats up.

We went to the Dubai Frame, the Dubai aquarium, and the Dubai Mall (also to the Sharjah Mall).  The tallest building in the world was nearby.  We were told that a ride to the top was not only expensive, but the wait in line was hours long. Many other city attractions, but I enjoyed a morning walk along the waterfront from our hotel as much as anything.  The air is hazy, likely desert dust. Dubai airport was an attraction in itself, huge, modern, and very busy.

Tallest building on earth.  That hazy sky was present during this visit but was clearer when we returned.

The Dubai Mall is amazing, but not the only beautiful mall in the area.  Each mall had a section where Middle Eastern clothing was sold.  Dawn bought a lightweight but traditional full-length dress which will be nice for summer wear. We would encounter people dressed anywhere from shorts & T-shirt to full robes or burka, and hijab.

We returned to Dubai for a one-night stop in transit between Colombo, Sri Lanka and Cape Town South Africa.  Because it was only a sleep over, we stayed in a hotel nearer to the airport.  It was another good choice:  very efficient and comfortable room, onsite restaurant, adjacent park with a walking path-trees-grass, and a nearby large shopping mall.  I think that Dawn enjoyed Dubai more than I did.  There are many more attractions to visit, but for me, it is still just a big city. 

Seychelles Islands

We arrived on Mahe Island four days before our cruise to allow time for exploration before departing. However, the weather did not cooperate. When we picked up our rental car, it was pouring rain. Unfamiliar country, narrow winding roads with traffic-stray dogs-parked vehicles on the road, rain washing across the road into deep gutters, darkness descending, and we are driving by GPS to a point on the map on the left side of the road. Somewhat challenging, but we made it.

                Sunrise at Northeast Point, Mahe Island

Immediately, we had to turn around and find a ‘grocery store’ for we had rented an empty apartment.  The store was a spare room stocked with freezer chests and shelves. Our apartment had one A/C outlet in the bedroom; we had to open all interior doors for any hope of cooling the bath-kitchen-living room. But the apartment was on the ocean and the owner, next door, was helpful.  Our rented vehicle had come with 1/4 tank of gas, so we needed to also find a government-controlled gas station.

We were located at the northern end of the island (Northeast Point was the address), and we discovered that the best beaches are located at the south end.  Driving down narrow roads to entry drives controlled by exclusive resorts. With the rainy weather and marginal driving conditions, our explorations were limited. While the natives live in humble conditions, the major resorts are beautiful but expensive, $500 or more per night.

Limited by the poor driving conditions and rainy weather, our explorations were limited to downtown Victoria, some nearby beaches, and a botanical garden with a collection of large tortoises. We were ready to join our cruise ship after four days.  We were able to schedule turn-in of our rental car at the pier where we joined our cruise ship, Le Jacques Cartier.

Lush vegetation at botanical garden, Mahe Island.  The entire island looked like this unless it had been intentionally cleared.

Just across the street from our AirBnB.

In summary, we were somewhat disappointed with Mahe Island, not as developed for tourism as we expected.  If I were to go there again, I would book a stay at a major resort, although I expect it would be expensive.

Transfer by RIB, rigid inflatable boat, from ship to shore.

A beautiful Seychelles beach on a cloudy day.

After a beach wet landing, we were guided to are area where 'double coconuts' grow.  Extremely dense vegetation and the coconuts are like two fused together.

Is this vegetation dense enough for you?  The leaves on these palm trees were immense, like about 8' by 10', big enough to serve as a single shelter.  They are even used in multiple layers as roofing on local abodes.

On another RIB expedition to an island bird sanctuary.  This bird is an ocean hunter whose favorite prey is flying fish.  All invasive species had to be eliminated from this island to protect the birds.

We could even swing from these vines.  However, in the hot, humid, still atmosphere of this interior island location, it was best to keep moving before the mosquitoes gathered.

  

Our Ponant Expedition, Indian Ocean

The word ‘cruise’ is not used to describe our current voyage.  Our ship, Le Jacques Cartier, does not stop in harbors and tie up to piers. Instead, it anchors off of beautiful beaches and transfers passengers to the beach via Zodiac RIBs (rigid inflatable boats). The landings are wet; going over the side of the boat and wading ashore. A wave may catch you in heavier surf soaking your clothing.

                                    Le Jacques Cartier in the Seychelles

Each landing has purpose: to see the rare Coco de Mer huge coconut trees and fruit, to visit a secluded refuge for seabirds, to experience a colony of tortoises. Or maybe, just to go snorkeling. We are always accompanied by local experts to explain all details. The outings are open to all passengers capable of the required activity level.

Loading a RIB when leaving the Seychelles.  We spent several days at sea voyaging to the Maldives.

Expedition crew members stabilizing a RIB in the shallow surf.  Crew members are hired for their local knowledge or for their subject matter expertise, plus physical health and strength.  They really seemed to enjoy their jobs.  Great adventure for a young person.

This is all possible due to the small size of the ship and limited passenger list (about 180 persons). The crew to passenger ratio is high to include all the positions for boat handling and safety needed help in these expeditions. Ponant is a French cruise line; as such, the crew is 90% native French-speaking.  Announcements are first in French, then repeated in English. About 1/ 3 of passengers are French, about 1/3 American, and 1/3 other- mainly European.  Excursions are separated into English and French-speaking groups.

The only thing we didn't like was dinner scheduled at 8pm.  I hate a heavy meal just before bedtime.  For me, there is the additional complication of being lactose intolerant.  French cuisine tends to feature butter, creme, milk, and cheese frequently.  But I am used to checking ingredients, and there are plenty of buffet options to choose from if the main menu is not favorable.

We had some rainy weather for the first few days.  Snorkeling in cloudy weather dims all the underwater scenery.  Seychelles has beautiful beaches.  By the time we reached the Maldives the weather improved but wind continued.  We were able to do some decent snorkeling.

We asked about excursions when we signed up for this voyage and were told that the excursions would be discussed once we were onboard our ship, Le Jacques Cartier.  Everyone was invited to participate in every excursion, and they were of high quality.  Once we reached Sri Lanka, we enjoyed more excursions.  First was a visit to the fortress at Galle.  This had been built by the previous colonial powers, Portuguese, Dutch, and British.  Now it is an area of shops, hotels and other businesses within the fort walls.

Mahe Island NE Point, about 100 yards from our AirBnB

Island coast in the Seychelles.  Notice that the sky is cloudy which makes snorkeling less enjoyable.

Snorkeling and snacking off a sandbar in the Maldives.  Plenty of sun here.

Another excursion was to Yala National Park (about 24,000 acres) which we toured in small groups on safari vehicles.  We saw many birds, elephants, water buffalo and a few crocodiles (man-eating when large enough).  One group was fortunate enough to spot a leopard.

A large elephant greeted us at the entrance to Yala NP (looking for treats)

A family of elephants in Yala NP.

These were the type of safari vehicles used in Sri Lanka.

A wild water buffalo resting in the shade in the Park.

In Sri Lanka peacocks are plentiful.  With all the predators, including leopards, I can't understand why these silly strutting birds haven't been eaten.

The Hornbeak is a very unusual bird.

I was fortunate to get this picture just as this bird captured its prey.

Yes, that is a man-eating crocodile sunning itself on the edge of a pond.  Normally, they are well hidden; then, if you look closely, you will just see their nostrils protruding above the water's surface.

Looks like an eagle to me.

Sri Lanka deer, food for the leopards.

Sri Lanka has enough elephants that it also has several elephant orphanages for baby elephants who have lost their parents.  One elephant there has a prosthetic leg due to stepping on a landmine left over from a recent human conflict.  Feeding forty baby elephants at one time is quite a show.

The trainer has to be well organized to be able to feed three hungry baby elephants at one time.  This was repeated over and over for forty such babies.  He is feeding them a milk substitute; then they eat piles of tree twigs & leaves.

Sitting on concrete, scraping off the outer bark at a cinnamon 'factory'.  It was a simple open building with a corrugated metal roof.  Curing cinnamon laying in the rafters.  Workers sit there all day long.

Cinnamon drying in the rafters.  No comfort for the workers.  How would you like this job?

Our most thought-provoking excursions were to a dairy farm for water buffalo, a tea plantation, and to a cinnamon 'factory'.  We discovered that I could eat curd with treacle.  The curd comes from the water buffalo, and the treacle comes from palm trees; it makes for a yummy treat like yogurt.  

This is the dairy farmer's home; considered to be fairly nice.  He has a herd of about 20 water buffalo which are milked by hand.

Notice the posture.  When the plants grow taller, it will be easier.  Why is it always women?  We were able to see some workers homes.... small one room shacks.

Tea leaves are usually harvested by women plucking the new green leaves by hand. For an expensive tea, the leaves are snipped using scissors and handled wearing rubber gloves to avoid any skin oils.  The work conditions of the women are depressing.  Their pay, about 1000 rupees per day, converts to not much more than three dollars.  In the processing of the leaves, we were proudly shown the ancient equipment used.... 145 years old.  Has nothing better been invented?  

Using ancient equipment, plus hand shoveling and hand distribution.  Nothing better has been invented in the past 145 years?  The woman on the right is supposed to spread the leaf mixture evenly across the perforated conveyor belt by hand.  She can hardly reach the far side.

Our most shocking revelation was the cinnamon 'factory'.  The factory was a concrete slab with a corrugated metal roof and open sides.  The workers sat on the bare concrete floor and stripped the outer bark off of branches using paring knives, all day long!  One woman had her infant daughter sitting on her lap.  Could the working conditions be any less comfortable?

This was our introduction to the overwhelming poverty of average citizens in Sri Lanka.  Much more can be said about the economic and political conditions.             

Travel Planning Details

Our next trip is planned to include Turkey (Istanbul, Cappadocia), an Aegean cruise, and Greece (Athens, Santorini) plus other intermediate stopovers (Germany, Austria, Italy) while coming and returning.  It will be months before we start completing all the details for that trip.

I am still working on completing the ETAs (Visas) needed for our soon upcoming trip.  I needed to upload selfie photos, pages from our passports, our accommodation contract, our tickets for the arriving airline, and our tickets for the departing cruise ship.  Then add in a medical form, background information, tracing data (for Covid), payment, and then complete some pull-down menus.... and that was just for Seychelles.  Best to do it on a well-connected cell phone.  Don't forget that international service plan for your phone. Tomorrow, I start on the Sri Lanka forms.

Four different types of electrical plug adapters will be needed for this trip (D, G, M, N).  Hopefully, our credit cards will suffice in most situations instead of using the multiple currencies involved.  What other details do we need to prepare for?

Today I discovered that our temporary change of address form was not submitted properly by the post office employee I dealt with.  Again, it was a matter of uploading identification information; she did not do it; thus, today I had to go to the post office and start over again.

Our cruise company wants us to bring formal wear for an onboard dinner, plus another "all white dinner" and then a semi-formal dinner.  Dawn and I simply do not have the space in our suitcases for these extras which will be worn only ONCE for an event in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  As it is, we have had to switch to larger suitcases which will need to be checked.  Checked luggage tends to get lost.  We have had it happen previously in Ecuador, Tahiti, and Sardinia.  Fortunately, we have absolutely no close airline connections for this trip.

We may skip those formal dinners.  Does the ship have a snack bar?

To travel to these far-off places on our own is a personal challenge.  I can understand why people hire travel agents.  The point is that you CAN do it yourself.  Our cruise company was not aware that Seychelles requires a visa.  I discovered that through dealing with Emirates airline.  Travel insurance.... we have never bought it unless required; medical evacuation insurance was required for the Galapagos islands and was justified by its remote location.  Depends on your situation.

Postscript:  The trip went almost perfectly.  We needed to change one of our transfer agents in Sri Lanka, and we needed to switch rental cars in South Africa.  Also, there was a mix-up on Dawn's ETA/visa in Sri Lanka; for some unknown reason she received a two-day visa instead of a two-week visa.  But, for a 57-day trip, that is minor stuff.

Sardinia in retrospect,

 Dawn says this has been our worst trip ever, and I agree.  Several factors apply. First, we originally planned this trip for mid-September.  We moved it forward to allow time with our grandkids in DC before school started.  In Scotland, we had temperatures up to 80 degrees, too warm for the hiking we envisioned.  During our brief stay in Amsterdam, the temperatures also reached the 90’s, part of a heat wave in Europe.

Here in Sardinia, our weather can be described as hot, humid, and hazy.  Hot as in up to mid 90’s.  Humid as needing frequent clothes changes and showers. Hazy as in obscuring what would otherwise be beautiful photos including the surrounding mountains. Starting the day after we leave, temperatures drop by ten degrees (F.). Not just my opinion but the unusual conditions were confirmed by the hotel receptionist.

Our difficulties in our arrival did not help our mood.  Instead of arriving Saturday at 6:30pm, we arrived on Monday at 1:00am with no luggage. Our rental car was canceled due to the delay.  We spent Monday trying to arrange a new rental vehicle to take us from Cagliari to three intermediate stops and a drop off at Olbia.  It was either that or attempt to cancel the trip. Tuesday, we had to shop for a change of clothes.  Doing laundry in the hotel room shower at night wasn't enough.  Our luggage had not arrived; now our fourth day wearing the same clothes. Wednesday, we drove back to Cagliari to get our luggage which had finally arrived! Now, will we stay within our baggage allowance when coming home?

For our last night in Sardinia, I had booked a B&B near the Olbia airport. We dropped off our rental SUV at the airport and took a taxi to the B&B arriving two hours before official check-in.  We hadn't eaten lunch yet and planned to just drop off our luggage and then go find a restaurant.  The B&B host demanded a charge just to hold our luggage for two hours.  Cheap bastard!  We had paid for breakfast the following morning but would be leaving too early to stay and eat.  No refund for that. 

We toted our luggage to a restaurant two blocks away and while eating lunch tried to reserve online a taxi ride for the next morning.  We discovered that taxis don't pick up from this neighborhood!  As soon as we listed our pick-up location, the taxi service became 'unavailable'.  We asked at our restaurant host, and also at a local pharmacy, and were told that only buses did pickups in this area, and there were no direct buses to the airport.  There we were, on a warm day (not as warm as previous days) toting our luggage along the sidewalk, walking in the direction of a bus stop, when a taxi happened by.  Observing the situation, he slowed to inquire if we needed a ride.  Back to the airport, at the information counter, a clerk there was able to get us a reservation with a taxi driver she knew personally.  Four trips back and forth at 20 Euros per trip for less than a 3-mile distance.    

Sardinia has beautiful scenery, but it’s towns mainly reflect a modest economy.  Most villages are not scenic.  Well-worn older buildings, newer cinder block buildings with little paint or other finish.  And no parking!  The city streets are from an age centuries ago, one-lane cobblestone.  Three times we have given up on exploring villages when we couldn’t find a place to park.

Very little on this trip has come easily.

Orosei and Olbia

Very clear water.  The waterfall has worn itself into a crevice in the cliff face.

Smaller boats tied up to a wharf.  The larger yachts are on floating docks or moored out. Porto Rotondo, a very wealthy area, part of Costa Smeralda.  High end fashions and nice restaurants.

Cala di Volpe coast, an extension of the Costa Smeralda.

 In southern Sardinia, we had an area not overrun with tourists. Oh, there are tourists, but they are overwhelmingly Europeans, for whom this is a regular visitation. Yesterday, we drove north along the east coast; very rugged and dramatic. We came across one village built at altitude on a mountainside where we would have liked to stop, but the ancient dwellings were so precariously close set that we could not find a parking space.

Why build a village in such a place?  In other locations near to the coast, it was for defensive purposes to protect against Moorish slavers seeking women and children as household slaves for North Africa and men who could be chained to the oars in their galleys. But those villages had defensive walls and watchtowers. Here, it may be only to seek a slightly cooler climate at altitude.

Looking back on the narrow road we just drove, constant curves and frequent vehicle transmission shifts.

The road here from the south twisted through steep rocky inclines where the guard rail was re-assuring. Three hours to drive a hundred miles. We are now at Orosei, where the coast starts to smooth out and there are many beaches to visit.  The Gulf of Orosei, surrounded by mountains, is directly south of us.  Because of the mountains, its beaches, cliffs, and caves are mainly accessible only by sea, from Orosei or further north.  A boat tour of the area takes 8+ hours, unless you launch from Cala Gonone. The land route to Cala Gonone is a narrow road carved into the granite slope with 180-degree hairpin curves. Once to the town, we discovered that no parking was available; cars were parked along the road for at least a half mile leading into the town. It was Sunday, and these were locals who had come to enjoy the beach town.

Cala Gonone. A beautiful seaside village with excellent access to the Gulf of Orosei.  Very popular, but to get to it you had to drive on narrow switchback roads down a mountain slope or come in by boat.  The entire Gulf of Orosei is surrounded by mountains.

Looking south from Cala Osala.

This is a typical Sardinian Mountain:  naked steep granite outcroppings.  The highest are up to 6000' high.

We experienced haze the entire time at Sardinia.  Locals said it was unusual but didn't know the source.  It started to clear up on our last day there.  

Courtyard of a very nice mountain hotel where we had lunch. Pool and art gallery were also part of it.  Nearby was a unique waterfall.  Below the waterfall was a clear pool and a small stream that led to a small lake where kayaks could be rented.

On another day, we headed inland to visit the village of Orgosolo.  We found the village at altitude on a steep slope.  Again, no parking was available. Instead, it was a maze of narrow streets clogged by parked vehicles, one-way signs and blind alleys where parking spaces are likely inherited.  We elected to keep driving.  For lunch, we stopped at a lovely hotel complex in a park-like atmosphere, with a swimming pool, an art & crafts center, and an excellent restaurant. The food here is delicious; my favorite being the seafood pasta.

Nearby was a waterfall which had worn its way into the granite face of a cliff.  A pool at its foot was perfectly clear.  A small lake downstream offered kayaking.  We are still in the dry summer season, so the waterfall and lake were not at their best.  The mountaintops here are almost naked granite due to their impervious steep surfaces and dry climate.  Beautiful to look at, but offering little hiking, or trekking as it is referred to here.  During our visit, a haze filtered distant views, spoiling what otherwise would be dramatic photos.  The haze dissipated on our last day in Sardinia.

One day we went to a recommended nature park on the coast featuring forest walks and five small beaches.  It was too warm for trekking, and we have had enough lifetime sun on our bodies that we try to limit time on an open beach anymore. (I have an appointment with my dermatologist soon.)

Another day (we spent a week at this hotel), we drove north to Porto Rotondo as recommended by our hotel personnel.  This area, NE coast, is known as the Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast.  It was developed into a retreat for the very wealthy starting 60 years ago by a mega-wealthy group of investors headed by the Aga Khan.  It is a yachting center with many attractive features: beautiful beaches nearby, offshore islands, calm seas, Corsica and the Tuscan coast.  Million-dollar yachts crowd the harbors.  Expensive homes and condos fill the hillsides.  High-end shopping and restaurants are close at hand.  This was far different from most Sardinian locations.  We just gawked, snapped photos, and had a nice meal.

Entrance to our hotel at Orosei.  Obviously, a very old building which has been repurposed.  The main building served as reception, rooms, and breakfast location.  Dawn and I stayed in an annex two blocks away which had a restaurant on the top floor.  Our SUV was parked in a public lot about four blocks away.  The hotel did have a golf cart to shuttle us and our baggage to our vehicle.